PITTSBURGH — The tweet came from @Pitt_FB last week:
"Champions on and off the field."
I knew all about Pitt's ACC championship last season. The Kenny Pickett season. Pitt's best season in 40 years.
I was interested to learn more about Pitt's off-the-field championship. It turns out the football team won a national title, of sorts. It finished No. 1 among all college football programs during the 2021-22 school year in community service, according to Helper Helper, an organization that monitors such things.
"I didn't even know there was an award out there. It's not like we were trying for a reward or to be Number 1," Pat Narduzzi was saying early Monday morning.
"We just want to give back. We want to teach our young people how to do it the right way, show them what's important. This world would be a better place if everybody would give back more. This award will feed into what we're doing. Why can't we be Number 1 every year?"
An admirable goal, right?
The Pitt football team dedicated more than 800 hours to community service, according to Celeste Welsh, who coordinates the activities for the players. A big chunk came during their annual Pitt Football Day of Service in April when they made stops around town at, among other places, a blood drive, the humane society, a veterans' center and a YMCA. They also put together 200 Ukrainian care packages.
Narduzzi praised long snapper Cal Adomitis for his "Cal's Kids" fundraiser. It brought in more than $135,000 — a staggering amount — for Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh.
Narduzzi also described defensive lineman Deslin Alexandre's work in the community as "unbelievable." Alexandre graduated with a degree in communications and is enrolled in Pitt's Katz School of Business. He is Pitt's nominee for the Allstate AFCA Good Works team, his many credentials including his work through Divine Mercy Parish, his support of veterans, his promotion of literacy, his work with the Make-A-Wish Foundation and his push to promote voter registration and voter participation in the Pitt community. He successfully has registered each of his voting-eligible teammates.
Unbelievable, indeed.
"I've got a personal story about Deslin for you," Narduzzi said. "He spent a day visiting my daughter Christina's fourth-grade class at Sacred Heart Elementary School. They have nationality rooms at the school like they do at the Cathedral of Learning, and her room is the Haitian room. Deslin is of Haitian descent. The kids were thrilled to listen to him. They interacted with him. They learned from him. They're still sending thank you notes."
One came from a girl named Caroline:
"I'm gonna be honest, I don't understand football, but I still think you and Pitt is cool. The shirt you signed is now my favorite shirt."
Narduzzi, the football coach, and Ms. Narduzzi, the educator, loved that.
"You let people know who you are when you get out in the community," Narduzzi said. "Deslin Alexandre isn't just Number 5 who runs around and hits quarterbacks. He's also that kid with a kind heart who spends time with children and talks about where he came from. ...
"It's not about giving money. It's about giving your time and your heart and your love. It's the impact you're making. Deslin is making an impact. We've got a lot of kids who are making an impact. Our kids have some big hearts."
Part of coaching, Narduzzi said, is to help the players become better citizens. He devotes time every few weeks in a team setting to remind them of how quickly they can lose everything by making a bad decision. He cites example after example of players who ran into trouble, ruined their career, were injured or even killed.
"It's a wake-up call for them," Narduzzi said. "I'm like, 'Hey, this can happen to you, too, if you aren't careful.'
"When you recruit good kids and you have a relationship with them, you can talk to them. 'What are you doing tonight? Make sure you behave.' We have that talk with all of our kids."
Narduzzi said each TV in Pitt's football facility on the South Side has a number that reflects the days since one of its players was involved in an off-the-field incident. It's at 1,869 days and counting.
Narduzzi also said all but one of his players who have stayed in the Pitt program for four years have graduated. "And that one player will graduate this summer. We'll be at 100 percent. ...
"We've got some great kids who are listening and doing things the right way."
With a national championship to prove it.
